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Monday, September 23, 2013

I don't particularly care for Russia. There's nothing wrong with Russians, they're nice people, if a bit brusque at times, and I admire their ability to drink vodka and chase it with more vodka all night long. But I don't particularly care for the way the Soviet Union first owned Finland for the better part of the 19th century, then tried to take over again during WWII, and when that didn't work, instead forced Finland into armed conflict with Nazi Germany.

It leaves a mark, history.

So instead I'm posting a photo of something that's not only relevant, but also close to my heart.

A cat.

I know what you're thinking. A cat? Really??

Yes.

Really. Plus, I know I can't outdo MikeWJ today, so I'm not even going to try.

"Sonya was a slender little brunette with a tender look in her eyes which

were veiled by long lashes, thick black plaits coiling twice round her head,

and a tawny tint in her complexion and especially in the color of her slender

but graceful and muscular arms and neck. By the grace of her movements,

by the softness and flexibility of her small limbs, and by a certain coyness and

reserve of manner, she reminded one of a pretty, half-grown kitten which

60 comments:

You're absolutely right about everything especially the parts about this being another of Mike's stellar ideas, history leaving a mark, and this being a really good photo. My guess is Dufus will appreciate this photo more than anyone else.

One of the ways you can tell you've met a truly gifted photographer is when she takes an overdone subject—and nothing on the Internet is more overdone than cat photos—and makes it seem fresh.

You've done that here. This isn't just a snapshot of a cat, it's a masterful portrait—beautifully and perfectly lit, ideally composed, regal in both its pose and color scheme, capturing an elusive moment in time somewhere between kittenhood and cathood.

It's brilliant, quite possibly the best photo of a cat I've ever seen, and like many of your photographs in 30 Days IV, a standout work that neither I nor anybody else is likely to top.

I'm sure it was just your camera, of course. You have a really nice camera. I'm positive the Russians would've confiscated it if they'd successfully taken over Finland, those drunken bastards.